Closets
by MondayChardonnay
Summary: James Sirius Potter and Melinda Alice Longbottom grew up together. Their fathers are friends; their families frequently spend holidays together. They've known each other their entire lives. So why is it that, suddenly, they don't seem to recognize what's going on between them at all? Companion piece to "A Fine Line," but can easily stand on its own.
1. A Prank to Be Remembered

**Summary: James Sirius Potter and Melinda Alice Longbottom grew up together. Their fathers are friends; their families frequently spend holidays together. They've known each other their entire lives. So why is it that, suddenly, they don't seem to recognize what's going on between them at all? This story is a companion piece to my Rose/Scorpius story, "A Fine Line," but can easily stand on its own.**

**Author's Note:**** So I've been planning to do a short story for James Potter and Melinda Longbottom ever since I wrote the Christmas morning chapter for my multi-chapter Rose/Scorpius fic, "A Fine Line." Initially, I had absolutely no plans for Neville's daughter to end up with Harry's son, but the second Melinda walked through the door of the Burrow in that chapter, she made a beeline straight for James, and I haven't been able to get them out of my head ever since. It's so funny how sometimes characters just seem to get a mind of their own. I'm currently writing "A Game of Secrets," my Albus/OC fic, plus several Rose/Scorpius one-shots, but I couldn't resist taking a break from those stories to get a little bit of a start on this one. And then it just came pouring out of me. This is going to be a four chapter story, and they should all be posted within the next few days. I've gotten pretty far already, and I don't really see the point of waiting to post them, so they'll be up as soon as I'm done writing them. I'm sure you guys won't mind.**

**Hopefully some of you will come to love these two as much as I have. Then again, I'm shipping them so hard that I would still have done this story even if no one was ever going to read it. They're just so much fun to write. For those of you who have read some of my other stories, thank you so much for being interested in this one. For those of you who are new to my writing, I hope you'll head on over and check out some of my other work.**

**As always, thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoy, and please don't forget to let me know what you think!**

* * *

**Closets**

**Chapter 1: A Prank to Be Remembered**

"_Dammit_," James Sirius Potter mumbled to himself as he shifted slightly and twisted his wand through the air. He was attempting to levitate a magical sensor up into the vaulted ceiling and settle it into one of the crevices of the intricately carved archway above his head. It was his final year at Hogwarts, and he and Fred had been plotting all year long. This was going to be the prank to end all pranks. Their names would go down in history beside his Uncle George and Uncle Fred's as the greatest mischief makers that Hogwarts had ever seen. It would be the perfect farewell to their beloved school—and the perfect advertisement for just what the newest generation of Research and Development engineers at Weasleys Wizard Wheezes were capable of.

That was, if he could ever get this sodding thing planted where he needed it. The small device—about the size of a Snitch—was a combination of a motion detector and a magic detector. It would be able to tell if the person passing it had magic—or, more importantly, if they didn't. Which meant that it was able to detect Squibs. Which meant that it could determine exactly when Filch emerged from his dungeon lair to patrol the school that night. Which meant that, the second that the aging caretaker walked underneath that particular archway, a chain reaction would go off across the school.

Fireworks, which James had already carefully positioned, would erupt along the first floor corridor in front of Filch. Dozens of walking, meowing copies of the latest incarnation of Mrs. Norris would pop up to infest Filch's office. A jungle would spring up on the fourth floor, complete with screeching monkeys, singing birds, and a particularly sleepy sloth. A sequence of industrial strength _"he who smelt it melted"_ dung bombs would go off on the second floor. A lion would materialize to stalk the hall outside of the Slytherin common room, roaring at anyone who attempted to exit—James's personal favorite. And, last but not least, some sparklers would begin floating around, spelling out naughty words just for kicks—and a little nostalgia. It was going to be epic.

But first…this _goddamn_ sensor.

* * *

Melinda Alice Longbottom was running late. She had dozed off, hunched over her Charms textbook in a corner of the Gryffindor common room, and because none of her lovely friends or family members had had the courtesy to wake her, she could easily have missed dinner altogether. Thankfully, everyone would still be seated in the Great Hall by the time she got there, so there was no need to hex anyone for forgetting to make sure she joined them when they had left for supper.

She reached the bottom of the stairs that led up to Gryffindor Tower and turned towards the direction of the Great Hall, her footsteps echoing in the empty stone corridor. Just as she was walking by the passageway that contained one of the stairways leading to the dungeons, however, she paused. She could have sworn that she had heard a muffled curse. Curiosity quickly overcame hunger, and she retraced her steps to peek around the corner.

And there was James. Merlin, that boy was always up to something. Sometimes, it was difficult to remember that he was actually a year older than she was. One would never know it by the way he acted on a fairly regular basis.

At the moment, James was struggling to levitate a small, lumpy ball into the mouth of a grinning gargoyle, carved into the capital of one of the archways that spanned the hallway. From the angle at which he was standing, he was having a difficult time positioning the—whatever the hell it was—precisely enough so that it would settle into the space between the tiny sculpted figure's teeth.

Melinda rolled her eyes before making her way over to him. She moved to stand next to him, peering over his shoulder. "Need some help?"

James jumped three feet in the air with a slightly less than manly shriek, then spun to face her, his hand clasped to his chest. "_Merlin_, Mel! Are you trying to scare me half to death?! Don't sneak up on people like that!"

She raised an eyebrow in response. "Shouldn't you be paying a bit more attention to your surroundings? Whatever you're doing doesn't exactly scream choir boy, James." She paused, studying him warily. "What _are_ you doing?"

His lips quirked up in a mischievous smirk.

"Never mind. I'm not sure I want to know."

"Aw, Mel. You're no fun."

Melinda stuck her tongue out at him, causing his smirk to widen into a full out smile.

"So…do you actually want to help?" he asked her.

"Why not," Melinda sighed, stepping forward. She held out her hand, gesturing for the uneven sphere in his palm. "Give it." When he handed it to her, she nodded her head towards the archway. "Give me a boost."

James interlaced his fingers, cupping his hands beneath her knee and raising her upwards in one smooth motion. Melinda had to stifle a gasp at how effortlessly he lifted her into the air. At times, it was easy for her to forget that he wasn't the little boy she used to run around the grounds of the Burrow with. In the past couple of years, he had grown nearly eleven inches, so that he now towered head and shoulders above her slight five foot two frame.

She shifted slightly, centering her weight within in his strong grasp, before reaching up to position the tiny ball in the spot he instructed. Once it was placed to his satisfaction, James began to lower her back to the ground. The floor hit her foot faster than Melinda anticipated, sending her careening into the hard planes of James's chest.

"Whoa there," he laughed, grabbing onto her waist and catching her up in his arms to steady her.

They were pressed against one another, their faces close, and their eyes locked. For a moment, neither one of them moved. Then, for reasons far beyond his understanding, James felt his gaze being drawn down to focus on her mouth.

Melinda's breath hitched as she watched his irises deepen from gold flecked brown to dark chocolate. She felt a pull somewhere deep in her abdomen, the unfamiliar sensation urging her to close the infinitesimal gap between them and cover his lips with her own. Now, she too looked away from the intensity of his gaze, her attention captured by the suddenly all too appealing curve of his mouth.

A sudden noise around the corner startled them, causing James to abruptly release his hold on Melinda, dropping her back to her feet. The pair jumped apart, their eyes scanning the corridor.

"Come on," James hissed, grabbing onto Melinda's wrist and dragging her into a nearby broom closet. It would definitely not be good to be seen in the vicinity of what was sure to be the epicenter of a very memorable, and very messy, prank.

They crowded themselves into the small, dark space, their bodies once again in very close proximity. Melinda cocked her head, listening to the sound of approaching footsteps, holding her breath as whoever it was slowly made their way past her and James's impromptu hiding place. As the steps began to recede, she let out a sigh of relief before turning to look up at the boy beside her.

She could barely make out his features in the dim light of the broom cupboard, but there was no mistaking the heat that had, once again, swum up to swirl through his eyes. She froze, her breathing becoming more and more uneven as she felt herself inexorably drawn to him. Then, his gaze flickered down to her mouth, and she was lost.

They slammed together—mouths colliding, bodies arching, hands grasping at one another almost desperately. Tongues tangled, breath hitched, and skin heated to the touch.

Melinda's fingers found their way up James's neck to tangle in his unruly black hair as he fisted his hand in the back of her robes and pulled her even closer. He growled at the sensation of her nails scraping over his scalp and closed his teeth over her bottom lip, wrenching a moan from her throat.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started, it was over. The pair leapt back, nearly simultaneously, staring at each other in utter shock. Then, they both began speaking at once.

"That was—"

"I didn't—"

"We can't—"

"I mean—"

They fell silent for a moment, completely at a loss as to what to say. Then, they both reached for the door, causing their fingers to brush on the knob. They jerked back at the brief instant of skin to skin contact, as if stung. Melinda shook her head, snaking her hand forward with lightening speed to twist the handle and allow them to escape the suddenly claustrophobic space of the closet. The second the door was open, they scrambled out and took off in opposite directions as fast as they possibly could.

* * *

**I hope you liked it! Stay tuned for the next three chapters. They should be up pretty soon. As is my habit, I'll tell you the title of the next chapter. It is..."An Aberration in the Broom Shed." Hope to see you next time!**


	2. An Aberration in the Broom Shed

**Author's Note****: Hi everyone! I told you I'd have this chapter up soon :) These two are practically writing themselves! Of course, it helps that I've been thinking about them for a couple of months now. If this keeps up, I should have the rest of this story posted within the next few days. We'll see what happens. Just a warning...this chapter is definitely rated M. It gets a little steamy towards the end, folks!**

**As always, thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoy it, and please don't forget to let me know what you think!**

* * *

**Chapter 2: An Aberration in the Broom Shed**

James paced back and forth across the floor of the seventh year boys' dorm. He felt like he had been punched in the gut. What the _fuck_ had _that_ been? He had known Melinda for his entire life—or rather _her_ entire life, since she was nearly a full year younger than him.

Not the point. The point was, in approximately seventeen years, he had never even thought about her as anything other than plain old Melinda Longbottom. The little blonde pixie with a fiery temper and an annoying ability to see through everything he said or did.

He had no idea what had come over him. All he knew was that, the second she had lost her balance and fallen into him—the second her chest had been pulled flush to his, her incredibly tempting lips mere inches away from his own—he had lost all ability to think. Or at least, all ability to think of anything else except getting a taste of her.

And then they had been interrupted before he could do anything irreversibly stupid. But of course he had just _had _to pull her into that broom closet with him—couldn't have either one of them linked to the scene of the crime, after all. And then they were in a dark room, their bodies close enough to touch, and he suddenly found himself unable to control his own actions.

But it was _Mel_, for Merlin's sake. _Melinda. _What in the holy hell had he been _doing?_

He just needed to stop thinking about it. He was going to drive himself insane. Hell, if he was going around randomly kissing childhood friends, maybe he already was insane.

"Knock off the pacing, would you, Mate?" Fred's voice interrupted his inner monologue. Or rather, inner freak out. "You're making me dizzy."

James merely shot a glare at his favorite cousin. Fred was sprawled leisurely across his four poster bed, his hands clasped behind his head, and his feet crossed at the ankles.

"Seriously, James. Stop worrying. It'll go off without a hitch. I'm sure we'll hear the commotion any minute now."

For a moment, James stared, confused. Then he realized that Fred had no idea just what thoughts had been racing through his head for the past hour and a half. Ever since he and Mel had…

Nope. Not going there. Focus on the prank to end all pranks. Their seventh year swan song. Deep, calming breath—check. Mischievous smirk in place—check. Not thinking about Melinda—well…he'd have to work a little harder on that one.

* * *

Melinda was sitting on her bed in the sixth year girls' dorm, her knees pulled up to her chest. The fingers of her right hand were nervously plucking at her bottom lip as she attempted to work out the events of that evening.

She had kissed James Potter. _James_. The boy that she had never really seen as anything other than the somewhat brilliant and very devious older brother of one of her best friends. So what had been different this time?

She had been heading towards the Great Hall for dinner, gotten distracted when she saw James up to no good as usual, helped him to implement whatever ridiculous stunt he had planned, and then…

Then? Absolute insanity.

She just couldn't figure out what had changed. Suddenly, his arms were around her, and she could think of little else but getting even closer to him—as close as was humanly possible.

And it wasn't like they had never touched before. They had grown up together. There had been wrestling matches, Quidditch tournaments, rainy days spent crowded into the various Weasley/Potter living rooms, laughing until their cheeks ached. All of which involved a certain level of contact. They had hugged, playfully slapped, fought, and on one particular occasion, James had carried her inside when she had tumbled off of her broom, while it was still in midair, and broken her leg.

But never, in any of those moments, had she felt the desperate need to climb him like a tree and devour his mouth with hers. She was completely baffled by that unexpected reaction to the feel of his body against hers. Honestly, where had _that_ come from?

And it was completely obvious that James had had exactly the same response to her as she did to him. She hadn't imagined the heat in his eyes; or the way he hadn't seemed to be able to keep his gaze from drifting down to her lips while they were in the hallway. And then there was what had happened in the broom closet.

She didn't know which one of them had initiated it, but she supposed it didn't really matter. All that mattered was trying to understand why, the instant his lips had crashed into hers, she had completely lost all ability to think about anything other than _more_.

Melinda rubbed her temple wearily. This was all just so confusing. Maybe she needed to simply chalk it all up to adrenaline, combined with the fact that they were two teenagers who had suddenly found their bodies pressed up against one another. It could be as simple as that. Hormones, with a touch of excitement and the fear of being caught.

She needed to stop obsessing about it. It had happened. It was done. Now, they would just have to move on from it.

If only she could figure out exactly what it _was_ that had happened. And what it all meant.

* * *

Over the next few days, it became painfully obvious to both James and Melinda that they weren't going to be able to simply forget what had happened between them that night in the broom cupboard. And so, they were doing their best to avoid one another. In the aftermath of James and Fred's epic farewell prank, it was easy to get swept up in the congratulations, gossip, and cleanup efforts and just push all thoughts of their kiss into the recesses of their minds. The fact that exams were rapidly approaching also provided the perfect excuse to stay out of each other's way.

But, every so often, they found their eyes straying towards one another. Or they would tense whenever the other walked into the room. Or they would make the conscious decision to walk down a corridor where they knew the other would not be. Whatever this thing was, it was beginning to interfere with their daily lives. And that was starting to bother them.

* * *

James was sitting in Transfiguration, tapping his fingers against his knee in an uneven rhythm, his mind incapable of staying away from thoughts of Melinda. He had barely seen her since their encounter in the broom closet, let alone spoken to her. And he missed her. He hadn't realized how much he had come to rely on her friendship. Her sarcastic little quips; her tendency to roll her eyes at his antics, while he was sure she was secretly acknowledging their awesomeness; the way she could pull a confession out of anyone, _especially_ him, with little more than a meaningful look and a willing ear.

So why was he still avoiding her?

It had been _one_ kiss. They had gotten caught up in the moment. He refused to even think about the fact that there must have been a reason that there had even _been_ a moment in the first place.

It didn't matter. They were friends. Hell, they were practically family. Although he needed to be careful with that line of thought, because it had the potential to become really, really creepy in the present circumstances.

Back on topic. There was no reason that he and Mel couldn't just move past this. And it was about damn time he did something about it. There was no way that he was going to lose a friend over a momentary impulse.

* * *

Melinda chastised herself for being a coward, even as she ducked into one of the side passageways in an effort to avoid the Transfiguration classroom, from which James should be emerging at any moment. This was ridiculous. James was her friend. They should be able to deal with this.

_She_ should be able to deal with this. She was getting fed up with the fact that she felt as if she needed to tiptoe around her own common room, avoiding eye contact—or any kind of contact really—with _him_. They were friends. It was well past time that they just acknowledged what they had done and move on from it. Put it in the past and forget about it.

She needed to find James and talk to him. She'd do it today. Just get it over with.

Or maybe tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow sounded good. She frowned at the small voice in her head that insisted she was being a chicken. She wasn't a chicken. She just needed time to gather her thoughts, that's all. Perfectly reasonable.

A movement at the other end of the passage caused Melinda to look up. At the sight of the figure moving towards her, she froze.

It took James another second to realize that she was there. When he did, his movement ceased as well. For a moment, they just stood there, several yards apart, their gazes locked.

Finally, James shook his head. "I've had enough of this," he growled in frustration, before stalking up to her, grabbing ahold of her wrist, and hauling her off down the hallway.

At the first door they came to, which just happened to be another broom closet, James wrenched it open and pulled Melinda inside behind him. He spun to face her, slight amusement cutting through his aggravation as he took in her wary expression.

James ran a hand through his hair, his legs itching to pace, but the confines of the closet made that impossible. "This is ridiculous, Mel," he sighed.

Melinda let out an irritated huff of air before slumping back to lean against the wall. "Yeah, tell me about it."

"This shouldn't be that big of a deal." He paused, collecting his thoughts. "It was one kiss."

"Right," Melinda nodded. "We shouldn't be letting it completely change things between us."

"So we agree?"

"Yes."

"Good." James stood still for a moment. "What exactly do we agree on?"

"Hell if I know." She finally looked up, catching his gaze with her own. He looked so confused and exasperated. For a split second, Melinda felt some of the same stirrings in her chest that she had experienced the last time they had been crammed into a broom closet together, but she quickly shut them down. Feelings like that could only lead to trouble.

When she was able to focus on their conversation again, she took a deep breath. "When you think about it, nothing _really_ happened between us. Like you said, it was one kiss. I think we should just…"

"Forget that it ever happened," James finished for her.

"Right."

"Okay, then. Good," James nodded. He fidgeted a bit, looking as if he was considering saying something else, but ultimately, he merely nodded again before turning and exiting the closet.

Melinda watched him go, fighting off an emotion that she absolutely refused to recognize as disappointment.

* * *

The weeks passed, and James and Melinda reverted back to the relationship that they had had before the incident in the broom cupboard. If they found themselves having to try a bit harder than usual to maintain their witty banter or casual attitudes, well…that was only to be expected. It was obviously going to take a little while for them to completely return to normal.

Exams were upon them all too quickly, and before they knew it, they were home for the summer holidays. The extra distance that being away from Hogwarts provided them proved to be exactly what they had thought they both needed—time apart to go back to the way things used to be.

And so, after a few awkward moments the first time their families got together, James and Melinda fell back into familiar patterns. No one observing them would have any cause to be even the least bit suspicious that there was anything more to their relationship than met the eye. And, since the rest of the world was so perfectly fooled, it was only to be expected that, with time, appearances would become reality.

The problem was, that reality was not arriving anywhere _near_ as soon as James and Melinda would have preferred. As the summer flew by them, they both began to realize that there were some things they couldn't just forget. That kiss, while determined to be inconsequential, had nevertheless still occurred. It had forced them to, however subconsciously, see one another in a slightly different way. And that fact was particularly disconcerting.

* * *

One night, when the Longbottoms were at the Potters' for dinner, James caught himself watching Melinda. And, if he was completely honest with himself, that was not the first time. Ever since their kiss, he had started noticing things about her. Things that he was coming to realize he had seen for quite some time. He had just been unable to admit it.

Now that he was aware of it, however, he would find himself studying the curve of her neck when she bent to look at something; the way her salted caramel eyes lit up just before she said something funny; the grace with which she moved across the room; the sound of her laugh. And, of course, the curves that she had been slowly acquiring over the past couple of years.

If he really thought about it, James had to concede that he had started seeing her differently even before that night. He may have been unaware of that fact, due to how subtly his view of her had changed, but it was impossible to deny that he had been looking at Mel in a way he never would have when they were still children.

Not that any of that mattered. But it did give another explanation for his actions in the broom cupboard. He was a teenage boy, after all. What it did not quite explain, however, was the reason that he couldn't seem to keep his eyes from straying to her every few minutes, or lingering on her when they did.

* * *

After dinner, Melinda had to consciously prevent herself from gravitating towards James. Something that had been happening more and more lately. When her feet seemed to point her in his direction, she purposefully changed course, heading instead towards the other side of the room where Albus was seated.

Of course, sitting apart from James did not prevent her eyes from being drawn to him. Another occurrence that was not exactly rare these days. She wasn't sure when she had started to catch herself watching him, but she was pretty sure that it had been going on for much longer than the span of time since their kiss. Otherwise, how would she have known that the corner of his eyebrow quirked up when he got an exceptionally devious idea in his head. Or that his left shoulder always twitched just the slightest bit when he was getting ready to lie. Or that he found it nearly impossible to sit still while he was thinking—his fingers would tap, his foot would jiggle, his weight would shift, or in extreme cases, he would get up to pace like a caged animal. She had absolutely no idea how he had ever managed to get through his exams—not to mention his OWLs or NEWTs.

His eyes were sharp, his laugh was quick, and his hair was always a mess. These were things that she had probably always known about him, but now, they stood out to the point that she was having trouble focusing on anything else when he was in the room. Even more disturbing, however, were the things that she was sure she had never really seen before.

Like the breadth of his shoulders. Or the flex of muscles in his forearm as he used his wand. Or a fork. Or tapped his fingers against his leg like he was doing right that second.

Merlin, this needed to stop. The only problem was, the more Melinda tried to ignore him, the more she seemed to see.

* * *

It was the first week of August, and Melinda had joined the Weasley/Potters at the Burrow for an extremely competitive afternoon of playing Quidditch. She soared across the clearing they used for matches, skirting the treetops and keeping an eye out for the Snitch. She had been selected to play Seeker for her team, due to the fact that Rose, who usually filled that role, had gone to Diagon Alley for the day with her father.

Of course, they were currently playing opposite James's team, and since James was one of the best Seekers that Hogwarts had ever seen, Melinda had absolutely no hope of beating him to the Snitch.

Speaking of James, he was currently swooping towards her, a cocky grin on his face. "Hey, Mel. See anything of interest?" he smirked.

Melinda rolled her eyes. "You're lucky Quidditch is an outdoor sport. I'm not sure an indoor arena could handle the size of your ego when you're on a broom."

"Well, that's not very nice."

"Maybe not. Doesn't make it any less true."

"Touché," James laughed. His eyes stopped sweeping the field for a moment in search of the Snitch, instead coming to focus on her own. "You know you'll never beat me, right?"

Just then, Melinda spotted a flash of gold over James's right shoulder. The Snitch. It was halfway across the clearing. She might just have a chance to best him, after all. "Maybe not, but I'm definitely going to enjoy trying," she shrugged, feigning nonchalance. There was no way she was going to alert him to the Snitch's presence. He hadn't seen it yet. It was hers for the taking. Now, all she had to do was distract him just long enough that she could reach it before he did.

"You enjoy trying and _failing_?" James asked, his expression communicating baffled disbelief.

"I enjoy making you _work_ for it," she whispered seductively, a wicked gleam in her eyes.

James's jaw dropped and his eyes widened in shock as a jolt of pure lust shot straight through his body. Then, before he had a chance to react, Melinda had sped past him, bulleting across the field.

"_Goddammit_!" James yelled, launching himself after her. He was a much faster flier than she was, but with the head start she had managed to gain, there was little chance of catching her.

At her cry of triumph, James bit back another curse. She sent a brilliant smile at him over her shoulder, and he had to fight off his body's very visceral response to the sight of her. He had to admit, that had been well played. Now he just had to figure out what to do about the feelings she had inadvertently stirred up.

* * *

"You cheated."

Melinda looked back over her shoulder from where she had been carefully storing her borrowed broom in the Weasley's ancient broom shed to see James scowling at her. "I did nothing of the sort. It's not my fault that you can't manage to focus for more than a few seconds at a time."

James shut the door to the shed behind him and strode towards her. "Evade as much as you want, Mel. That doesn't change the fact that you used your feminine wiles on me to win a Quidditch match."

"My wiles?" Melinda laughed. "I didn't have to try very hard, James. Maybe you should be asking yourself why my _wiles_ worked so damn easily on you."

James raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm a teenage boy with a pulse?" His gaze made a long, slow sweep of her body, his irises darkening considerably as he did so. "And eyes?"

She swallowed hard, even as she felt her body being inexplicably drawn to his. James took another step forward, then another, forcing her back until she was pressed against the wall, caged between his arms.

"You shouldn't play with fire, Mel," he murmured. His voice was rough, the sound sending a pleasant tremor down Melinda's spine.

Somehow, she managed to find enough air to speak. "A little bit of heat keeps things interesting."

James's gaze intensified, his eyes darkening even more as they moved down to focus on her mouth. "Let's test that theory."

And then he was kissing her. It was hard and hot—all teeth and tongue and bodies crashing together. His hands stroked down her sides in one firm motion before cupping her thighs and dragging her up his body. She wrapped her legs around his waist in response, reveling in the fact that their mouths were now at the same height.

He groaned when she tightened her hold on him, rocking her body into his. One of his hands gripped her hip, while the other slid upwards, making its way beneath her shirt and gliding over bare skin to the clasp of her bra.

"James—" Melinda gasped, tearing her mouth from his. He responded by shifting his attention to her jaw before trailing his lips down the column of her throat, and causing her to groan with pleasure.

"James," she tried again.

"Mmm?"

"Wait." Melinda slid her hands from his hair to frame his face, pulling him back from where he was currently nipping at the skin of her neck.

He leaned back so that he could look at her, and the passion in his eyes almost took her breath away. They were nearly black with lust, and focused so intently on her face that she was surprised she hadn't burst into flames. She came very close to just closing her mouth over his again, but managed to summon enough will power to resist.

"There's something I should tell you…" she began.

James looked at her questioningly, his gaze searching.

"I've never—I mean…I…" When his eyebrows shot upwards, Melinda stopped speaking. It was clear that he understood what she was trying to say.

"You've never done this before?" he asked, gently, sliding her down his body until her feet were back on the ground.

She shook her head in answer.

"Fuck, Mel, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you—"

"No," she interrupted him. "That's not why I told you." She took a deep breath. "I want this. I just thought that you should know."

He stared at her in wonder, the lust beginning to flare back up at the edges of his expression. "Mel, I—"

"I mean…that is, if you still want to…" she trailed off, suddenly uncertain.

All of her doubts were washed away when he crushed his mouth to hers. His tongue swept across the seam of her lips, demanding entry, and she opened on a gasp to let him in. He kissed her until they could both barely breathe, then pulled back only far enough to touch his forehead to hers.

"Of course I want to," he growled. "I just need you to be sure, Mel. I'm not doing this unless—"

"I'm sure. I trust you," she assured him, gently scraping her fingernails over his scalp.

James groaned before pulling her body even closer to his and nipping her bottom lip between his teeth.

Her hands began shoving at his t-shirt in an effort to reach his bare flesh. He whipped it over his head and hissed as her fingertips began to explore the hard planes and angles of his chest and abdomen. Then, she was forced to pull back as her shirt joined his on the floor.

The instant the material was no longer between them, their bodies came back together, hands groping desperately at newly exposed skin. Melinda's fingers danced over his stomach, her nails swooping down to trail along the waistband of his shorts.

"_Fuck_, Mel," he ground out, moving his own hands down her body so that he could undo the button of her shorts before shoving them to the ground—along with her underwear—in one smooth motion.

He lifted her once again, urging her legs around his waist. As soon as she was securely clasped around his body, James quickly reached down to free himself from the confines of his pants.

Melinda shivered as she felt his length brush against her center. Merlin, she wanted him so badly. She leaned forward, catching his ear lobe between her teeth and pulling.

"Mel," James groaned, bending back so that he could see her face. "You're sure?" His body was nearly trembling with need, but if she wasn't completely comfortable with this, he would find some other way to relieve himself.

Melinda's eyes locked with his. "Yes," she whispered. "I'm sure."

James leaned in, closing his lips over hers in a kiss that was much softer than any they had previously shared, though no less passionate for its tenderness. And then, he was sliding into her. Melinda's back arched at the sensation of him slowly filling her, of her walls stretching to accommodate him. He held still, allowing her body to grow accustomed to him.

She moaned as she adjusted to the feeling of his length, waiting for the discomfort to fade before rolling her hips and encouraging him to move.

He started off at a leisurely pace, trying to hold himself in check for her, but quickly succumbed to the sheer ecstasy that was her tight, wet heat. Her walls clenched around him, pulling the air from his lungs. Then, she whimpered his name, and he gave in to the need, surging into her. She threw her head back as she shattered around him, a strangled cry erupting from her throat.

James clamped his teeth down on the curve of her shoulder, willing himself to hold on, to ride out the tidal wave of pleasure just a little bit longer. But the iron grip that her body had around him proved to be too much, and after a few more erratic thrusts, he buried his face in her hair and gasped her name before following her over the edge.

* * *

James stood, clutching Melinda to his chest, her limbs still wrapped tightly around him, as they both attempted to catch their breath. He pulled his head back so that he could press his lips to her sweat dampened temple. "That was…"

"Incredible," Melinda laughed.

"Absolutely incredible," he agreed, kissing her hairline again.

They held on to each other for a few more minutes, basking in the afterglow. Finally, Melinda unhooked her feet from the small of James's back, sliding down his body until she was standing back on solid ground. She reached down, picking up, then stepping into her shorts, before pulling them up her legs.

When her shirt was thrust into her line of sight, Melinda looked up. James had pulled up his own shorts, leaving them carelessly unbuttoned, but had not bothered to retrieve his shirt from the shed floor. She gratefully took her top back, sliding it over her head and straightening to face him.

They stared at one another in silence for a few moments. Their hair was mussed, their lips swollen, and their skin flushed, the evidence of their actions readily apparent.

"So…" Melinda finally spoke. "What now?"

James shoved a hand through his hair, then began to pace. "I don't know."

Melinda sighed. "I go back to school in less than a month."

"I know."

"So…" she trailed off, watching the restless, and still shirtless, boy in front of her.

He turned to face her. "Do you want to—?"

"I don't think it's a good idea."

"Yeah…" James sighed. "Probably not."

"We wouldn't see each other for months. Not exactly an ideal time to—"

"No. Not quite." He resumed his pacing for a moment, before looking at her again. "So, what? We just forget it?"

"I think that's probably best," Melinda murmured, feeling a bit defeated. "Don't you?"

"I guess," James conceded. "Yeah…I guess."

"Okay, then. We just…"

"Catalogue it away as a mind-blowing experience that shall never be repeated?" James suggested.

Melinda laughed. "Yeah, something like that."

"So, yeah…then…"

"Yeah." She moved to walk around him towards the shed door, but his hand shot out to stop her.

"Mel…" He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers.

She gave him a small smile when he pulled back, and reached up to stroke a hand down his cheek. "Thank you. For—"

"Yeah," he breathed. Then he quirked and eyebrow, mischievously. "It was my pleasure."

Melinda snorted out a laugh, before straightening her clothes and striding out the door, but not before sending one last look back at James.

* * *

**The next chapter is..."Back to Normal." Hope to see you next time!**


	3. Back to Normal

**Author's Note:**** Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter. These two are much harder to write apart than they are together, but it needed to be done. The good news is, there's only one more chapter left, so they'll be together very soon. For those of you who have read "A Fine Line," the next chapter will be the scene from the epilogue. I know everyone wanted to know what happened in that pantry. Well, you're going to find out :) It should be posted soon. I really want to get this story wrapped up so that I can get back to focusing on "A Game of Secrets."**

**As always, thank you so much for reading! I really hope you enjoy, and please don't forget to let me know what you think!**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Back to Normal**

Despite their best intentions to keep what had happened between them in the broom shed from affecting their relationship, James and Melinda found themselves once again avoiding each other. It just seemed easier to stay away from one another as much as possible for the rest of the summer. They had made the right decision when they agreed to just move on. With Melinda leaving for her last year of Hogwarts in a few weeks, they couldn't possibly have enough time to sort out their feelings for one another. It was best if they simply shoved it to the back of their minds and went on with their lives.

But that didn't make it any easier to forget. Family get-togethers had become lessons in self-control. They were constantly struggling not to look the other's way, because every time their eyes caught and held, it was almost impossible to rein in their bodies' physical reactions. One stare, one accidental brush of skin on skin, and they were catapulted right back into that broom shed.

And so they avoided each other.

* * *

By the time the first of September arrived, things in Melinda's life had begun to return to something resembling normal. She was more than ready to go back to Hogwarts—more than ready to have something to distract her from the confusion of thoughts and feelings that had centered themselves on James.

At first, it felt very weird without James at Hogwarts. She kept expecting him and Fred to pop around some corner or another, sniggering about their latest escapades. But, since she and James weren't actually seeing each other, and she absolutely refused to analyze any of the emotions that she may or may not be having towards him, their brief moments in closets and broom sheds were relatively easy to ignore. Melinda was surprised at how quickly she was able to fall into routine—classes, homework, friends—leaving the summer, and all that had occurred, behind her. After all, the situation with James had appeared so suddenly that it was simple to just dismiss it as an aberration, and move on.

By the time the middle of October rolled around, Melinda had convinced herself that her feelings of anything but friendship for James were firmly in the past. And so, when Lorcan Scamander kissed her, she saw no reason why she should not kiss him back. She and Lorcan had been friends for years, he was enjoyable to look at, and when his lips touched hers, she felt a bit of a spark. What she refused to acknowledge was that it was nowhere close to being the maelstrom of sensation that she had experienced with James.

But still, Lorcan was kind, funny, and sexy in a cute, but nerdy way. He was exactly the kind of guy she wanted to be with. And she and James were definitely not together. So she started dating Lorcan.

After a few weeks, she realized that she really liked kissing Lorcan. He gave her a pleasant swoop in her stomach when he touched her, and he looked at her like she was smart, and beautiful, and the only girl in the room. So she started kissing him more. Their relationship had managed to carry the playfulness that had characterized their friendship over into something more. It was fun being with Lorcan. Fun and easy—exactly what she wanted and needed.

Then, a couple of weeks before winter holidays, she decided to take their relationship all the way. It was sweet and gentle and very enjoyable—everything a girl could wish for. And Melinda realized that she loved Lorcan. She wasn't sure yet if she was _in_ love with him, but she did love him.

When they parted for winter break, Lorcan gave her a very thorough kiss goodbye, and Melinda missed him when he walked away. He and his family were going on one of their wonderfully weird expeditions over the holidays, so they wouldn't be seeing each other until school resumed in January. She was looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts, and to Lorcan.

* * *

James buried himself in his job in the Research and Development Department of Weasleys Wizard Wheezes, until thoughts of Melinda gradually began to fade. Since he had barely even seen her since the broom shed, he was finding it easier to just force whatever it was that had happened between them out of his mind. Between work, Fred, and enjoying freedom from Hogwarts, James quickly left the events of the summer behind him.

Yes, he missed Mel. But he was easily able to convince himself that it had nothing to do with their time together. She was his friend. That was what he missed. He would have felt this way after she returned to Hogwarts without him, whether they had slept together or not.

By the time the Christmas holidays arrived, James had begun dating around a bit. He didn't have a girlfriend, but was definitely enjoying playing the field for the time being. He was loving life exactly as it was, and if Melinda crossed his mind at all, it had very little to do with the way she had felt in his arms.

When he heard that the Longbottoms would be joining the horde of Weasley/Potters at the Burrow for Christmas breakfast, his excitement at seeing Melinda was grounded completely in feelings of friendship. Really, it was.

* * *

On Christmas morning, Melinda walked into the Burrow behind her father. Her gaze swept the room for Rose, but screeched to a stop when she saw James. He was seated in the corner of the room with Fred and Albus, playing with some new potions ingredients. For a moment, she tried to convince herself to continue to look for Rose, her best friend, but just couldn't force herself to turn away from James.

Why was he causing that reaction in her? They were just friends. She was very happy with Lorcan. So why was it that when James carelessly shoved his shirtsleeves up his forearms and combed his fingers through his perpetually messy hair, a pleasant shiver ran down the length of her spine.

Before Melinda could even take the time to think about what she was doing, her feet had carried her across the room and she was settling herself on the floor next to James.

* * *

James heard Neville's voice and felt every muscle in his body tense. He purposefully directed his attention to the potentially dangerous mixture of ingredients on the ground between him and Fred, ignoring the fact that his senses were alert to the fact that Melinda had just walked through the door. He schooled his features and did his best to ignore her presence. He was sure that she was doing the same thing. She would probably go over to Rose, who was on the other side of the living room, leaving him to play with his potions in peace.

But then, he felt the air shift behind him, and was surrounded by the faint jasmine scent of her perfume. Melinda lowered herself to the floor beside him, leaning over his shoulder to look at whatever it was he was fiddling with. James's stomach clenched and he had to swallow at the intensity of his reaction to her.

This was not good.

* * *

By the time the middle of the afternoon arrived, Molly had thoroughly tired of James, Albus, and Fred's little experiments—or rather, she had tired of the unintended results of those experiments wreaking havoc on her living room. And so, while a somewhat amused Harry cleared up the scorch marks from the ceiling, Molly sent her mischievous grandsons to set the table for dinner. Fred grabbed the stack of plates off the counter, while Albus took the napkins and silverware, leaving James in the kitchen to fetch glasses and serving utensils.

Rose and her parents had left several hours earlier for Christmas dinner at Malfoy Manor, and so Melinda was now left in the living room with the rest of the Weasley/Potter family. Feeling a bit restless, now that her closest circle of friends had disappeared, she stood, making her way over to the Weasley matriarch. After the _minor_ explosions, Melinda could tell that the older woman was a little overwhelmed.

"Molly, is there anything I can do to help?" she asked.

Molly's gaze snapped from the damage that had been done to her Christmas decorations to the tiny blonde girl beside her. Her frizzy red hair was in disarray, and she looked like her temper had begun to fray at the edges. "Oh, that's so kind of you, dear," she smiled. "Why don't you go on into the kitchen and help the boys?"

"Of course," Melinda answered. "No problem at all."

She turned away from the mess, which was already well on its way to being fully repaired, and headed towards the kitchen. When she pushed through the door, she paused. James was alone, his back to her as he reached into a cabinet for wine glasses.

"Grab the serving spoons, would you?" he asked brusquely. "I've got enough to do with the glasses."

Melinda swallowed, fighting the urge to just spin on her heel and walk right back out of the room. "Yeah, sure."

James spun around at the sound of her voice. "Mel—" He cleared his throat. "Sorry, I thought you were Fred or Al."

"I can understand the confusion," she remarked, raising an eyebrow. She crossed the kitchen, stopping within a few feet of him. "You still want me to bring out the serving spoons?"

James shook his head. "That's all right. Leave them for the other two. You can help me with the glasses."

"All right." Melinda stepped forward again, reaching up into the cabinet to begin gathering the water glasses. She boosted herself up onto her toes, her fingers stretching to grasp the tumblers that were further back on the shelf.

"Here, let me," James spoke up, leaning across Melinda to grab the glasses out of the cabinet for her.

She felt him pressed against her back for a brief moment, before his heat disappeared. Slightly flustered, Melinda turned to look at him, only to find her body far too close to his. Their chests were mere inches apart. Their gazes locked, and suddenly, she was reaching for him, even as he lowered his head to crush his lips to hers.

James's mouth was hot and greedy over hers, and Melinda couldn't help but respond just as aggressively, cupping her hands behind his head and pulling him even closer. He pivoted, caging her between his body and the counter, his lips rushing down to take. His teeth closed briefly over her bottom lip, and she answered by plunging her tongue into his mouth and arching into him.

James reveled in the contact, running his hands up her sides and angling his mouth to deepen the kiss. And then, just as suddenly as she had grabbed ahold of him, Melinda was shoving him back.

She stared at him, eyes wide and chest heaving, before covering her face in her hands and turning away. "Oh, _God_!" she groaned. "What am I doing? I'm with _Lorcan_!"

James shoved his hands into his pockets. "_Really_? 'Cause it sure seems like—"

Melinda shot him a warning look and he immediately backed off. "Yeah. I'd heard something about that."

Melinda leaned back against the counter, her arms wrapped around her ribs as she descended into self-loathing. "He's good to me," she said, almost to herself. "I _care_ about him. How could I do this to him?" She did her best to shut down the stab to her heart at the brief flicker of pain on James's face at her words.

James took a deep breath. "You wouldn't have, Mel. It's just because it's me." He slowly approached her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder and trying not to cringe at the tears in her eyes. "We have a tendency not to think straight around each other. That's all."

She shook her head. "That's no excuse."

"Maybe not, but you shouldn't beat yourself up over one kiss."

She raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "I'm not sure it can be dismissed that easily."

"We haven't seen each other in a while. We just got carried away." James cocked his head, forcing his mouth into an arrogant smirk. "I know how irresistible I can be."

That forced a laugh from her. "Ah, the famous Potter ego rears its ugly head."

"Oh, come on. _Look_ at me, Mel. There's nothing ugly about this head."

Melinda rolled her eyes, before fixing him with a grateful look. He had somehow managed to smooth over her conflicted emotions and ease her conscience with a simple joke. She let out a sigh. "Why does this keep happening?"

James's gaze deepened, but before he had a chance to respond, the sound of approaching footsteps made them spring apart and quickly resume their assigned duties. By the time Fred walked in a few seconds later, James was carefully lining up wine glasses, while Melinda was gathering up the water glasses to bring out to the table.

* * *

After their little slip over the Christmas holidays, James and Melinda were even more determined to keep away from one another. Melinda continued to date Lorcan, firmly ignoring the fact that she had kissed James, and determined to be the best girlfriend in the world in order to make up for it. There was absolutely no reason for Lorcan to know. Like James had said, it had only been one kiss.

She slipped back into her routine, forgetting about the way she had felt when James's hands had been on her skin; the way her entire body seemed to catch fire when his lips moved over hers. Instead of dwelling on…whatever it was with James, she devoted herself completely to Lorcan. And to finishing up her final year of Hogwarts with top marks.

And if, occasionally, she missed James so much that it physically hurt, well that just didn't warrant consideration.

When the school year came to a close, Lorcan moved to Eastern Europe to work with dragons. Since Melinda had no intentions of following him, they both agreed that it would be best to just let things between them fade away. She took a job in the graphics department of _The Daily Prophet, _and started to date around. She and James saw one another occasionally at Weasley/Potter get-togethers, but they both did a fairly good job of steering clear of one another. Sometimes he brought his current girlfriend, sometimes she showed up with her current boyfriend.

Years passed, and they were both thoroughly convinced that whatever had been between them had long since faded away. They had fallen back into a somewhat comfortable friendship. They teased one another; they joked around. They were sure that they felt no jealousy whatsoever when they saw each other with other people.

But, every once in a while, their eyes would lock, and there would be a spark that just couldn't quite be suppressed.

* * *

**The next chapter is..."Green with Envy." Hope to see you next time!**


	4. Green with Envy

**Author's Note: Hi everyone! Well, here it is: the final chapter. What happens in this chapter was the entire reason that I decided to write this story in the first place. And the reason behind the title I chose for this fic. I just really wanted to explore what happened in the pantry between James and Melinda at Rose and Scorpius's engagement party during the epilogue of "A Fine Line." And I know that a lot of you wanted that too, if the comments were any indication :P So, yeah...this chapter is definitely rated M.  
**

**I had so much fun writing these two. I hope you had as much fun reading about them. They have definitely become one of my favorite pairings to write. As always, thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoy, and please don't forget to let me know what you think!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Green with Envy**

James wasn't sure exactly when he realized that he'd been lying to himself. It had happened gradually. A lingering look here; a stray thought there. It had been years since he and Melinda had done anything even remotely close to crossing that very shaky line between friends and something more. They had both moved on completely from…whatever it was that had started happening between them. He had had girlfriends; she had had boyfriends. Whatever that brief _thing_ had been was long over. Or so he had thought.

But now, he was beginning to realize that it was nowhere near that simple. Over the past year or so, James had begun to notice that he was watching Melinda again. The first time that he had really been aware of it was when he had shown up to Lily's twenty-first birthday party without a date. Out of the corner of his eye, he had seen Melinda's current boyfriend lean over to plant a kiss on her hairline…and his stomach had dropped.

He had never felt anything like that before, and so it had unnerved him. Significantly. For the rest of the night, he found his eyes scanning the room for her, trying to figure out just what he was feeling. It had been so out of the ordinary for him that he had managed to convince himself that it was nothing.

Okay. Maybe he had experienced a very potent bout of jealousy. But it didn't mean anything. He was just jealous of the fact that she had someone to bring to this particular family gathering, while he was currently between relationships. Maybe he just needed to make sure that he was never between relationships for very long.

But it had kept happening. He kept noticing her. He kept watching her. And, although he absolutely refused to admit it, he kept wanting her.

* * *

Melinda was restless. James was across the room with his latest in a long line of short-lived relationships. And she was having trouble keeping her eyes from straying to him. And she had no idea why.

True, there had been moments over the years that she had slipped up and thought about their encounter in the broom shed. And there had been times that she had caught herself looking for him when she walked into a room. Or staring at him just a little bit too long. But they were friends. Friends felt like that about one another. Right?

So why was she watching him with his flavor of the week and feeling something akin to jealousy? Okay, fine. It _was_ jealousy. But why? And why was it that she couldn't stop looking at him?

Melinda was beginning to realize that it was time to admit that there was something there. She found her attention drifting in his direction far too often for there to be nothing going on. And she always seemed to know exactly where James was in the room. No matter what kind of chaos was going on around them, she could turn and locate him at any given time. And when his gaze caught hers, she couldn't stop the thrill that would shoot down her spine.

Of course, he was perfectly content to make the rounds through half of the women in the wizarding world. Of _course,_ now that she was finally starting to admit to herself that she _might_ have feelings for him—that she might want him—he was too busy living it up. And it was killing her.

* * *

Melinda was curled on the Burrow's living room couch next to Dylan, her boyfriend of four months. The entire family had gathered for Rose and Scorpius's engagement party, and with both Ron and Draco on the premises, there was always a chance of fireworks. Then again, Rose and Scorpius weren't exactly known for their tranquility either. Because of the danger of drama involved in this particular family get-together, Melinda had debated not inviting Dylan, but he was a nice guy and she liked him. So here they were.

She was laughing at something that Dylan had said when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She tilted her head to the side, surreptitiously peeking at the doorway.

_James._

Ugh. Why couldn't she just be happy with the perfectly lovely man sitting next to her? But no. Instead, she had to fight the sudden urge to get up and cross the room to _him_.

She was getting really tired of trying to fool herself into thinking that she didn't have feelings for James. Every time she thought that she had finally succeeded in ignoring those troublesome emotions, he would walk into the room and she was right back where she had started. Why had these feelings decided to surface now? Or rather, _resurface_. Because she was starting to realize that she had felt this way about him at the end of her sixth year. She had just done a much better job of ignoring it then.

At some point, she was going to have to deal with it. It was funny. In every other aspect of her life, Melinda was a take charge type of person. She wasn't timid, she wasn't soft-spoken, and she never backed down from a fight. But when it came to confronting James about her feelings for him, she became overwhelmed with cowardice. Because she was beginning to realize that this could be the real thing for her. And she wasn't sure that she was ready to handle it if he didn't feel the same way.

* * *

He needed to stop this. Melinda was across the room, cuddled up with her boyfriend—Darren…something—it didn't matter. And it was driving him absolutely insane. James had finally given up. He was willing to admit that there was much more to their relationship than just friendship and physical attraction. The problem was, she didn't seem to have come to the same realization, if the way she was laughing at that _guy's_ jokes was any indication.

And he was jealous. He was ridiculously, uncontrollably jealous.

_He_ wanted to be the one who was making her laugh. _He_ wanted to be the one with his hand on her thigh. _He_ wanted to be the one who she was looking at with a combination of amusement and easy affection. He wanted to _be with her._

Because, the more James dated around, the more he realized that Melinda was _it_ for him. She just was. He had spent way too much time and energy trying to convince himself that she wasn't. That it was some momentary thing that would fade away over time. It hadn't. It had only gotten stronger. Sure, he had done an incredible job of ignoring that fact for a very long time. But it just wasn't working any longer.

"You look serious about something," Albus's voice interrupted his thoughts. "That's never a good sign."

"Ha," James sneered at his younger brother. He looked back over at Melinda and her _date_. He was sick and tired of lying to himself. He was almost twenty-five years old, for Merlin's sake. It was time to grow up and face his feelings like an adult. "I'm going to prank Melinda's boyfriend," he announced.

Albus's eyebrow winged up. "You sure that's a good idea, mate?"

His grin was instantaneous and filled with a wicked gleam that anyone in the Weasley/Potter circle would immediately recognize as dangerous. "Absolutely."

* * *

James carefully unscrewed the top from a canister of his and Fred's latest invention, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' Goo Gone Wild—"_try to clean, you'll get more green!_" It was still in the experimental stages, but with a few more tests and minor modifications, they hoped to launch it with their Back-to-School line in the fall.

Using his wand, James levitated the gelatinous green substance from its container, smirking as the gooey clump began to undulate in midair. This was going to be entertaining. He shifted so that his body was partially hidden from view behind an armoire. He didn't want Mel to see him, and stop him, before he had the chance to follow through.

He floated the Goo across the room, carefully weaving it through the various friends and relatives crowded into the small space. He took aim, pulling his wand back so that he would have enough leverage to cause a nice splat. And then, just as he was about to unleash the slimy green sneak attack, someone walked into his line of sight. No matter. He knew where he was sending it. But then, just as he released his hold on the Goo, Melinda and Darren—or whatever his name was—shifted in their seats.

James could only watch in horror as the Goo missed its target by a mere four inches, and rather than the satisfying sight of Melinda's boyfriend covered in green sludge, he was now looking at a tiny, thoroughly splattered blonde. And she was _not_ happy.

Melinda screeched, leaping off of the sofa and whirling to face James. Her eyes had narrowed to dangerous slits and he couldn't help but gulp in the face of her anger. "_James Sirius Potter!_ You are _dead_!" she shrieked, lunging at him.

Raising his hands in front of him in surrender, James quickly retreated. "I'm sorry, Mel! It was a complete accident, I swear."

"Oh, like I'm going to believe that!"

"It's the truth!" James retorted, his tone slightly offended.

Melinda snorted derisively, still advancing on him, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"It really was an accident," Albus spoke up in his brother's defense.

"See? I didn't mean it!" James insisted, his eyes pleading for mercy.

Melinda cocked her head in consideration. She turned to Albus. "He's telling the truth?"

"Yup," Albus answered, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, and his eyes twinkling with amusement. "He was aiming for your boyfriend."

_Shit_, James thought. Of course his brother wouldn't be able to resist egging her on. If she killed him for this, he was going to come back as a ghost just to haunt Albus for the rest of eternity.

Melinda's hand shot forward, latching onto James's wrist and hauling him out of the room behind her. She dragged him down the short hallway to the kitchen, before wrenching open the door to the pantry, shoving him inside, and slamming the door shut behind them.

* * *

James winced at the sound of the door crashing closed, trapping him within a very small space with a very angry Melinda. He turned to face her, cowering beneath the intensity of her rage. "Mel—" he began.

"_No!_ Just shut it, James!" she interrupted. "What the hell were you—" She clenched her jaw shut, biting off her words before raising her wand and casting a silencing charm around them. She wouldn't have been surprised if half of the party-goers were crowded outside with their ears pressed against the door in an attempt to eavesdrop. Hell, with the volume level she expected this conversation to reach, they wouldn't even need to be trying all that hard.

He opened his mouth in an attempt to speak again, but she cut him off with a wave of her hand. "What the _hell_ were you thinking?!"

"It was a harmless prank, Mel—"

She snorted. "Yeah. Aren't they always?" She lifted her wand again, muttering _Scourgify_ before James could stop her.

"Mel, _don't—"_ he protested, and then groaned at the sight of her. Every bit of her skin and hair that had been within six inches of the Goo was now a brilliantly phosphorescent green. "_Damn_," he hissed.

Melinda looked down at her arms before pinning James with a very dangerous look. "Fix it. _Now_."

He swallowed hard, raising his own wand. His first attempt succeeded in removing the green from her hair, but the color of her skin had simply become even brighter. He hadn't thought that was possible. "Hmm," he hummed. "Curious."

"_James Sirius Potter_," Melinda growled. "I swear to God, if you don't—"

"Relax. I've got it. We're still working out the kinks." After two more tries, she was back to looking like Melinda. Unfortunately, her temper had not disappeared along with the effects of the Goo.

"Okay," James sighed. "Recommence with the yelling."

A very threatening sound came from Melinda's throat. "You think this is all a big joke, don't you?!"

"Well the Goo did come from the joke shop, so—"

"Do you really think it's a good idea to push me even _further_ right now, James?"

He sighed. "Come on, Mel. It was just a bit of fun with—"

_"You hit me with **green slime!"**_

"I was aiming for your _boyfriend_!"

**"_Again_,** not making things _any_ better for yourself!"

"Look, I'm sorry that I hit you with Goo. It really was meant to be a harmless prank," he said, lowering his voice in an attempt to diffuse the situation.

But Melinda wasn't ready to calm down yet. "Why would you even decide to attack him in the _first_ place?! _What the hell is **wrong** with you?!"_

James shrugged insolently. "A lot apparently. Why don't you just go back out there to Mr. Perfect and leave me here alone to think about what I've done."

Melinda rolled her eyes at his mocking tone. "Knock it off. He's a perfectly nice guy and—"

_"Let me **guess!"**_ James shouted, making her jump at his dramatic increase in volume. "You _care_ about him?!" He knew that he wasn't quite able to mask the hurt he felt at that idea. He just hoped that she was too blinded by rage to notice.

"I—" she began, then stopped abruptly, staring at him.

Her lips were parted, her chest was heaving, and her gaze was focused intently on his face. Her eyes widened slightly, the irises darkening. And then, James barely had a chance to register the fact that her focus had shifted to his mouth before she was launching herself at him.

* * *

Melinda wasn't quite sure what had happened to switch her mood so quickly from anger to lust. All she knew was that one second she was shouting at James, and the next, she wanted nothing more than to feel him against her. She hadn't missed the brief flash of pain in his eyes when he had mentioned her caring about Dylan. Just as she hadn't missed the clench in her chest when she had seen it. And, suddenly, she just couldn't bear being apart from him any longer.

Screw fear, screw uncertainty. She just wanted _him._ If he decided that he didn't want her the same way, then she would just have to survive it. But for now, she couldn't stop herself from wrapping her arms around his neck and devouring his mouth with hers.

James's arms had caught her when she had catapulted herself into his chest, and he hoisted her up even higher so that their lips were lined up with one another. His tongue swept into her mouth as she tilted her head, deepening the angle of the kiss. She threaded her fingers through his hair and moaned when he tore his mouth away from hers to place searing kisses down the side of her throat.

It had been over five years since they had touched each other like this, and the overwhelming relief that came from releasing the chains that had been kept so carefully wrapped around their need for one another was palpable. All Melinda could think was _more, more, more _as James pulled her body so that it was flush against his.

"_Fuck_, I've missed you," he gasped into the curve of her shoulder. "I can't do this anymore, Mel."

Melinda responded by pulling his lips back to hers and wrapping her legs tightly around his waist. "I know the feeling."

"So what are we—?"

"_Later_, James. Just shut up and kiss me," she panted into his mouth.

He had never heard an order he liked more. He threw himself into the kiss, plunging his tongue in to tangle with hers.

Their hands fumbled, tearing at clothing in a desperate attempt to reach bare skin. Melinda moaned when James's fingers dove beneath the fabric of her bra to close over her breast, manipulating the flesh with careless ease and sending delighted pulses to her core. She pulled back just long enough to whip her shirt over her head before crushing her mouth back to his and reaching down to undo his buttons.

She shoved the shirt back over his shoulders, running her hands over the heated skin that was now revealed. James reached behind her to flick open the clasp of her bra, sweeping the straps down her arms before throwing the garment to the floor. She bent backwards, groaning as he leaned forward to scrape his teeth down the tendon in her neck, pausing to suck on her pulse point.

Then, they were leaping away from one another, fighting with pants and underwear, before crashing back together. James grabbed ahold of Melinda's waist, lifting her effortlessly. She wrapped her legs around his hips again, crying out at the barrage of sensation as his tip teased her entrance.

_"Now_, James," she whimpered.

He growled into her throat as he impaled her. Three firm strokes, and he was fully seated inside of her welcoming body. He sucked in a ragged breath at the feeling of her walls rippling around him. "_Fuck_, Mel."

He turned them, so that he could press her back against the pantry wall, giving himself more leverage to move. Melinda sunk her teeth into his shoulder as he began to thrust, making him hiss and pull her body impossibly closer to his.

Melinda plunged her fingers into James's hair as she moved against him. The pleasure swept up from her toes to engulf her entire body. Her back arched, her fingers digging into his shoulders for balance as her head tipped back. She screamed out his name as she shattered, reveling in the sound of her name on his lips as he followed her into the abyss. She shuddered, immersed in sensation, before crashing back to earth and collapsing in his arms.

* * *

_"Holy shit,"_ James breathed, his face still buried in Melinda's wispy blonde curls.

She couldn't contain the breathy laugh. "I'll say." She pulled back just enough so that she could press a soft kiss to his jaw. "I missed you."

James turned his head, covering her lips with his. "I meant what I said, Mel. I can't do this anymore."

"I know," she whispered, sliding a hand from his hair to stroke his cheek. "I can't either."

"We've been lying to ourselves—and each other—for _years._ It has to stop. I can't take it anymore."

The emotion in his eyes cut straight through her. "Good," she sighed. "I've been trying to figure out how to tell you exactly that."

He looked down at her, startled. "How long?"

"_Months_." She let out a humorless laugh.

"We're both idiots."

"Tell me about it," she answered, wryly.

"So this is it. We're doing this? No going back?" he asked, studying her face, his expression wary.

"This is it." She leaned her forehead against his. "No going back."

He took a deep breath. "What about Darren?"

Melinda's lips quirked up in amusement. "You mean _Dylan_?"

James shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"I suppose not," she whispered, gently pressing her mouth to his. "I'll get rid of him."

"That easy?" he asked, skeptical.

"No," she sighed. "I'm going to have to talk to him alone. Let him down gently."

"When?" He held his breath, terrified that she would make him wait longer than he could stand. Hell, almost any time at all felt like more than he could stand.

"As soon as possible." She paused. "I'll get him to take me home now. Then I'll come back after I talk to him."

"You're sure?"

She pulled back, framing his face in her hands. "I'm sure."

They held onto one another for a few more minutes before reluctantly letting go, getting dressed, straightening each other's clothing, and emerging from the pantry.

* * *

James was on edge. He couldn't seem to keep still. Melinda had left over an hour ago, feigning anger at him as she talked her boyfriend into taking her home because she just didn't want to be there anymore. She wanted to get away from James—the stupid git. She had apologized to Rose and Scorpius, gone through the long list of perfunctory farewells to friends and family, and, after one last meaningful look in James's direction, left on Dylan's arm.

And he had been freaking out ever since. He finally managed to settle himself in a chair, although he couldn't quite keep his leg from jiggling or his hands from fidgeting with his wand—twirling it around and around between his fingers. She had said that she was going to let the guy down easy and then come right back. But what if she changed her mind?

He didn't think he'd be able to handle that. James shoved his wand back in his pocket, but his fingers couldn't stop moving and shifted to drumming against his knee in agitation. _Please _don't let her change her mind. He glanced nervously at the clock above the mantle. Fifty-two minutes. She had been gone fifty-two minutes. How long did it take to break up with someone?

Okay, that wasn't fair. Melinda was right. Darr—_Dylan_—was a nice guy. He deserved better than a 'hey, it's been fun but we're over.'

James had to clench is fists to keep from getting up to pace. For the moment, his family had not noticed his restlessness, but if he started wearing a trench in the carpet, they wouldn't be able to stop themselves from interrogating him about what was wrong.

James's head whipped towards the sound of the front door opening. A few seconds later, Mel came rushing in, her eyes sweeping the room. He jumped up, his gaze locked on the determined look on her face, and a giant knot formed in his stomach.

* * *

Melinda burst through the door of the Burrow, wanting to get to James. Breaking up with Dylan had taken much longer—and taken much more out of her—than she had anticipated and she was itching to feel James's arms around her. She had done her best to be as kind as possible, but it was a crappy situation all around. That's what she got for lying to herself for so long. She had hurt a perfectly nice man. She gave herself a moment for the guilt to settle in, then shook it off.

She turned into the living room, and her eyes immediately began to scan the crowded room before landing on James. He was standing in front of one of the plush armchairs, his face so full of guarded hope that it almost broke her heart. He hadn't known whether or not she was really coming back—it was evident in his expression. _Stupid man_. Of _course_ she had been coming back. There was nowhere else she wanted to be.

She moved towards him, her strides purposeful, ignoring the questions of her friends and family as to why she was back so soon. The second she reached him, she stretched up, grabbing onto the back of his neck and pulling him down into a fierce, blistering kiss.

He responded eagerly, wrapping his arms around her waist and sinking into her.

When lack of air became an issue, Melinda finally pulled back. "That's for doubting me."

The corner of James's lips tipped up. "I'm going to have to doubt you more often."

"Shut up," she laughed, rolling up onto her toes so that she could smother whatever retort was about to pop out of his mouth with her lips.

"Um…guys?" Albus's voice came from a few feet away. "When exactly did _this_ happen?"

They turned their heads to look at the rest of the room. All of their friends and family were staring, open-mouthed at the sight of the two of them wrapped around each other. All except Rose and Scorpius, who were smirking. "It's about damn time."

"Amen to that," James grinned, before bringing his mouth back to Melinda's.

* * *

**And now it's time for me to get back to writing Albus and Ava's story, "A Game of Secrets!" And I can't forget my Rose/Scorpius one-shots either. Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it. If you're interested, head on over and check out some of my other Next Generation stories. I'd really appreciate it! I hope to see you soon :)**


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